How Much Proficiency Is Enough?

I had my Bonanza set up perfectly for the straight-in ILS Runway 22 approach at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (FGSL), following a short, 63-nm flight across the Bight of Biafra from Douala, Cameroon (FKKD). It was actually a rare clear day near the equator and I could easily see the nearly 10,000 foot Pico de Basile only 10 miles south of Malabo, certainly a potential terrain hazard to be managed if it had been actual instrument conditions and I had been concerned about the missed approach. That would be one of many risks to be managed in this environment.

Robert Wright

Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

Many general aviation pilots, especially those with low flight activity, often mistake legal "currency" (meeting minimum FAA standards) for actual "proficiency" (the ability to operate safely and efficiently across various conditions).
A pilot's required level of proficiency should be determined by flight frequency, purpose (recreational vs. transportation), and the complexity of the aircraft and avionics being used.
The article advocates for proactively using risk management tools, such as the PAVE acronym, to honestly assess one's capabilities against potential flight hazards, rather than relying solely on regulatory currency.
To maintain proficiency with low flight activity, pilots should consider regular flying (including advanced training devices), setting personal minimums for weather and operational complexity, and selecting aircraft appropriate to their current skill level.

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Actually, only a small part of this is true. I was actually “flying” an advanced aviation training device (AATD) to try and recapture some of my instrument proficiency. I’ll explain more about the AATD in the sidebar on page 7, but what I was really doing was some research for my just-released historical novel Valhalla Revealed. Along the way, I recalled a few things about simulators, got to check out some amazing scenery and came away feeling a lot more proficient on the gauges. That’s a good thing, because my flying activity has changed in the last few months, and I’m not as active a pilot as I was even a year ago. Within my lack of recent experience—especially with modern GPS navigators—lies a tale similar to that of many other pilots.